All systems go for Barton Snow in pursuit of famous double

Joe O’Shea revealed he did not want to go to Prestbury Park with Cheltenham Festival winner Barton Snow – but is adamant his stable star can now complete the big Cheltenham-Aintree double.

The nine-year-old extended his unbeaten chase career to five when edging out Emmet Mullins’ Its On The Line by a neck to land the Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase in Gloucestershire.

O’Shea, who is based in Cheshire, insists Merseyside and the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase was always the plan for Barton Snow, who aims to become to first horse since On The Fringe in 2016 to claim both festival races in the same season.

“I wasn’t worried after the last (at Cheltenham), I think it was God helping us out because if he pinged it, he would have hit the front too soon,” O’Shea said.

“He’s a great little horse. We don’t know how good he is.

“He did his first bit of work since Cheltenham on Wednesday so it’s all systems go. I think he will improve for the run and I just hope it’s good ground for him.

“It started last year when we put him away – I said ‘we’ll win the Foxhunters at Aintree next year’. Always the plan, I had it mapped out and then the owners (the MMI Partnership) changed it.

“They said ‘we might not ever have a horse like this again, we want to go to Cheltenham’. I didn’t, but they pay the bills and they talked me into it.

“I’d have sooner have gone to Haydock (for Walrus Open Hunters’ Chase in February), I’ve won it four times and wanted to win it five times, but I’m not bothered as I will make up for it after he has won at Aintree.

“Everything has been geared up to Aintree with him, he had a week off after Cheltenham, he was cantering away and I watch him every day. We did a bit of work on Wednesday and are dead on target.”